Arty Girl: Meet Artist Eric Finzi Tonight

I swear, I should have been a marriage counselor. I am obsessed with relationships.

And, no, it's not because of the romantic mushy stuff.

I love to know the intricacies of the particular dynamics between people. I'm constantly observing interactions, subsequent reactions and body language. Particularly when it comes to romantic relationships, I'm fascinated by the unique ping-pong of personality traits that draw two people together...or apart.

So, naturally, I'm intrigued with the paintings by Eric Finzi. His solo show at Perihelion Arts, "If Loving You Is Wrong, I Don't Want to Be Right" presents portraits of couples in the midst of various exchanges. And it's up to the audience to decode the nature of those relationships.

But, tonight, Eric Finzi will be on-hand at Perihelion Arts to give us some clues as to what his paintings really represent. Or, at least, what his personal interpretation happens to be.

The fun part of Finzi's work is that we get to project whatever narrative we wish. So what does it say about me that I think the smiling blonde is using some serious sexual trickery on that dude?

And he'll surely discuss his unique artistic method. Finzi fancies himself an "alchemist" as he creates each painting through experimentation with resins and pigments in his "laboratory". In fact, he considers the tempermental resin as having a mind of its own and believes this medium does a lot of the painting for him.

Hear all about it at the Artist Meet & Greet followed by an artist talk from 6:30-10 p.m. tonight, January 6th at Perihelion Arts, 610 E Roosevelt St., Unit 137 in Phoenix, 602-334-6299, www.perihelionarts.com.